Dr. Timothy Jorden's likely suicide leaves questions in murder

Law enforcement officers search near the home of Dr. Timothy Jorden in Hamburg, N.Y., June 14, 2012. Inset is a file photo of Jorden. / CBS/AP

(CBS/AP) BUFFALO, N.Y. - A former Army weapons expert-turned-trauma surgeon pursued after the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend at an upstate New York hospital has apparently killed himself with a gunshot to the head.

The apparent suicide quells the risk of more bloodshed and silences perhaps the only voice that might have answered the central question: What caused a gifted surgeon widely beloved as a lifesaver to end his life in a spasm of violence?

After a two-day nationwide manhunt, police say they found 49-year-old Timothy Jorden's body in thick brush near the doctor's Lake Erie shoreline home.

The body was found Friday not far from Jorden's suburban home.

Authorities had been searching for Jorden since Wednesday morning, when 33-year-old Jacqueline Wisniewski was found shot to death in a stairwell at the Erie County Medical Center.

Timothy Jorden, Buffalo hospital murder suspect, seemed to change before going on lam
Nationwide manhunt underway for Buffalo trauma surgeon Dr. Timothy Jorden

Dennis Richards, Buffalo Police Department chief of detectives, said the man apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An autopsy is being conducted.

SWAT teams had spent hours Wednesday searching the home without success.

"It's terrible," said Tom Wrzosek, a neighbor. "It's a tragic situation. Nobody wins in a situation like this."

Wrzosek had told police he heard a single gunshot from the steep, thick terrain behind Jorden's house on Wednesday morning, about 90 minutes after Wisniewski was gunned down at the hospital where she and Jorden worked.

Some of her friends told local media outlets that Jorden stalked her after she ended the relationship. One of her friends told WIVB-TV that Wisniewski told her the doctor had put a GPS tracking device in her car and once held her captive in her home for a day and a half, wielding a knife.

Buffalo Hospital Shooting: Manhunt underway for Dr. Timothy Jorden, suspected killer
Trauma surgeon Dr. Timothy Jorden elusive in manhunt after Buffalo hospital shooting

Jorden earned a medical degree from the University at Buffalo and trained at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. He received his certification from the American Board of Surgery in 2004.

The Buffalo News reported that Jorden joined the National Guard in high school, went into the Army after graduation and served with the Army's special forces, first as a weapons expert, then as a medic. In those roles, he served in the Caribbean, Japan and Korea.

He was honored by various local organizations over the years for his teaching skills and involvement in the Buffalo community.

Jorden's colleagues told local media outlets that he had been acting strangely in recent months and lost as much as 75 pounds from his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame.

[SayShaft]

He was a typical violent obsessed black guy out of control. He was a lousy surgeon (rated 2 out of 4 stars)med schools have been totally corrupted by affirmative action and hospitals are suffering the consequences. At least no innocent people got hurt here and this bag of excrement won't harm anymore patients with his sub-par skill.

[weybrielle]

To SayShaft: Please !!! Don't start with the racial crap ! Black, White, Asian, Indian, Chineee, Korean, Russian, Anglo-Saxon, Jamaican, Hispanic....There are men who are violent, obsessed and out of control! Out of most nationwide murder-suicides - are white guys killing their wives or girlfriends ! Whites fail the Emotional IQ on AVERAGE. They are mentally and emotionally unstable and are quicker to commit suicide ! They are jealous and yet are insecure whenever they see white women flock to black men. This is the TREND today ! Men are Men, Women are Women ! Leave Color out of it !!!! White, Black whatever ! We are all human beings and have the same blood running through our veins...However, because of RACISM...you have people like yourself who throws IGNORANT COMMENTS. YOu have nothing else better to to with your time ! Dr. Jordan was a very nice Dr. and was Highly Respected !!!! He had 4 out of 5 and 5 out of 5 stars....You, along with any other person who can't stand to see an African American Male in the profession of being a Dr., Lawyer, Nurse, Engineer etc...would give a rating such as you did. It's because you have issues ! Get over them! You didn't know of him and your'e a racist ! The man clearly was obsessed with her but you have no right to say that he was the typical violent obsessed black guy out of control. You are the bag of EXCREMENT here with your sub-par brain ! Don't lower yourself any further. Do you know there is a GOD in Heaven who you can pray to ?? Change your ways and Don't let SATAN be your guide ! You will Bust Hell Wide Open SayShaft. By the way, go google and research how many white men were out of control and killed their loved ones out of craziness ! Most recently, the guy who took his wife to the woods with thier 2 small boys in the winter over a year ago. She was killed by him. Then the idiot blew himself and the kids up a short time later after social services arrived at the home with the kids. By the way, do you remember Laci Peterson and her unborn baby who were killed by Scott Peterson....

[Heshmalesh]

LOL all your comment does is show what a moron you are

WHITE MEN are far more likely to murder their spouse then black men, but whatever.

"At least no innocent people got hurt here" ummm a woman was murdered. Are you dense?

[pradeepkumar392]

no

[cherishthislady]

Do any of the readers that posted comments ot this article have first hand knowledge of this man? The fact is, all we know of him is what we have read in the news media. I myself have never met him either. Information about all his acolades for past accomplishments were never as broadly pulicised the way his heinous behavior of the last few months and how he ended his life. The man lost a massive amount if weight in a short period of time and, he also behaved erratically and out of charater a few months before taking another person's life then turning the gun on himself. There must be osme underlying medical reason behind all these sudden changes. Maybe if he had showed some insight into the changes he was going thorugh and sought help, things would not have turned out this way. Needless to say, despite his proffesional medical knowledge, or maybe because of it, the good doctor did not seek treatment. Why? Because of the stigma attached to mental health. he could have had one of a numerous medical issues affecting his brain electrolytes that led to his behavior.

There seems to be a lack of empathy in general in our society for people who suddenly behave erratically for unknown reasons. If the man were to have gone bald because he underwent chemotherapy or, had fallen and suffered a fractured arm I doubt there would have been anywhere near this many negative statements about him. This man could have had a kidney tumor, minor stroke, a tumor, a blood clot or some other injury leading to an assault on his brain that caused his extreme behavior change.

Mental Illness is the most undertreated medical illness of all. Why -because of the stigma attahed to mental illness. Ironically enough, this illness leads to more deaths in most societies in the world than if you added up and compared numbers woff all other medical concerns. It does not have to be this way as it is one of the most treatable medical conditions. When treated, the prognosis for the patient is good when treatment is timely and properly administered.

[SayShaft]

Come on, he was a typical obsessed black guy out of control. He was a lousy surgeon (rated 2 out of 4 stars)med schools have been totally corrupted by affirmative action and hospitals are suffering the consequences. At least no innocent people got hurt here and this bag of excrement won't harm anymore patients with his sub-par skill.

[weybrielle]

Well Said ! RN

[ugacrew]

You may be very surprised to find out that a third party shot both of them. Imagine the shooter killing the lady. He then phones the doctor and tells him of some tragic event involving one that he cares deeply about. He rushes to his car and finds that he is being held a gunpoint. The keys may have been taken from the girl friend.
He is forced to drive home and there becomes a victim himself.

See, it always pays to wait for all of the facts before you pass judgement on anybody. Many roads can lead to the same destination.

[lisarnccm1]

I agree

[topazinator]

Whew. Saved us the cost of a trial. That's always a plus. Wonder how much it cost me to send him to medical school?

[lisarnccm1]

I guess would expect this type of irogant comment from people like you. You could never be a doctor because you are a non caring idiot.

[jt92202]

Looking at the picture of this guy, he looks like Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Belair, James Avery. Of course it isn't but I thought the likeness was uncanny!!

[CreeIndianChief]

"Why"? Guy had everything going for him? Crazy & Sad.

[Robert_In_Texas]

Why do I have this crazy idea that the cop who was on disability did both shootings. Come on think about it. A cop on disability for a few years gets stopped at his friend's house with a Rolex, a wad of cash and other tidbits. I just think the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Hope the forensics speak volumes to the investigators.

[weybrielle]

DR. JORDAN WITHDREW FROM HIS ACCOUNT..LARGE SUMS OF MONEY AND EXPENSIVE GIFTS GIVING THEM AWAY TO HIS FRIENDS....HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS GETTING READY TO DO......THE COP WHO WAS HIS FRIEND HAD NO IDEA ABOUT DR. JORDAN'S PLAN TO COMMIT MURDER-SUICIDE MY FRIEND. LET'S NOT START ACCUSING HERE...GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT !

[rondivoo]

Oh my....he kills somebody and reporters rave about what a great surgeon he was and that he was in Special Forces in the military....how great is that?! He was a stalker and a murderer, a control freak who had no concern for taking a human life...a killer is what ya call him.

[askagain]

Perhaps he was a great surgeon and soldier. No matter what happened, how do you take that away from him? What's worse, he is an alleged murderer yet you already have him convicted. Is it so hard to wait for the investigation to be completed before you make accusations? I guess it is for some people.

[lisarnccm1]

He was a great surgeon on who had problems like ALL of us. You are a Liar... Sin is Sin

[matt6052]

Said he was a buffalo soldier, win the war for America.

[topazinator]

Actually, he looked like a Buffalo Soldier. Loved that doo rag.